Driving Courses

[dale]

hi everyone! recently ive been driving at really high speeds *on a track* and its in a bmw 318i which is a 4 door sedan 1.8L and going round corners at high speeds i feel very like unsafe where as cars around me are doin them even faster. i think its due to a lack of experience as well as ive been in 2 crashes (other people driving) which were around corners which has kinda given me a phobia.

i think the best thing would be to do sum courses round the north shore area if any of you know any please list any details and comments etc don't repeat ones that have been said unless stating opinions on them

Thanks heaps! p.s. its a FWD so im waitin till i get my car to do the courses in (which will b in like a month or 2) which might be RWD not sure but are there any secrets to takin corners as well as longer corners goin around 140 *on a track* which bend over wide distances

I feel like the car back wheels r gona skid out and dont really feel in control and this is a big part of my driving so any help at all thanks!

(and the lack of experience one i think might be key factor coz im on Ps @ 17)

[RedS14T]

At those speeds it comes down to suspension. The little 318i wasn't designed with the M3 in mind. My brother had one. Throttle control has something to do with it but at those speeds most cars will feel taily. Keep it *on the track*!

OT,

Are you always hanging around the servo next to St Ives shopping centre every saturday night? Whenever i pull up there after work i see the same kids everytime. I think i remember you saying you live around there..

[red900ss]

...I feel like the car back wheels r gona skid out and dont really feel in control and this is a big part of my driving so any help at all thanks!

(and the lack of experience one i think might be key factor coz im on Ps @ 17)

At least you are thinking,

"now what's going on here? that doesn't feel right".

It sounds like you are already a better driver than before as you are questioning what is happening.

Getting out on a track (read:safer environment than a public road) and feeling what your car will do in different situations is what all drivers should be doing. Not only when they are brand new to driving, but for anyone who holds a license.

It's one thing to be able to do a hill start, reverse park and a 3-point turn and pass a driving test. But how do you find out what the car is going to feel like when you approach it's handling limits? By handling limits I don't mean bombing through a sweeper on the old road doing a ton in the old language either. It's quite easy to lose control of your car in a woolies carpark given the right (wrong) conditions.

If you know what it feels like approaching the limit, and can practise this in a controlled environment, when the time comes to do it in real life (and it will) you will hopefuly avoid an accident.

There are plenty of books around on driving technique. Motorbooks at Cremorne would be a good palce to start, christmas is coming up and your parents are probably going "what are we going to get BACKUP this year? he's so hard to buy for all he does is whore SAU...".

Also, there are a number of driver training schools out there who can start you on the basics and progress to the more advanced courses. Another christmas solution.

Honda have HART at St Ives and the other schools operate from the various race tracks.

Another thing to do is go along to one of the skid pan days in Events. Very minimal wear on the car and you can try out diferent things and see what the car will do without worrying about hitting a tree/power pole/pensioner. There's always plenty of others around who are more than happy to show you a few pointers.

Good luck!

[carlo]

I think motorbooks in cremore are gone now.

Dale what track where you driving on?

you should get your self along to one of our driver training skid pan days with Aaron McGill.

[dale]

Are you always hanging around the servo next to St Ives shopping centre every saturday night? Whenever i pull up there after work i see the same kids everytime. I think i remember you saying you live around there..

yeh mate thats probably me what car are u in? come say hello next time! (if theres a silver bmw)

thanks for your help everyone keep em commin in and my parents wouldnt say what can we buy backup for christmas they would use my name (dale)

I was on a *track* near manly

I was thinking of the HART course but it seems a bit expensive anyways thanks all! and i want to come along to a skid pan day but only wen i have my car

how much tire wear do u get from it?

[RedS14T]

I was in a Red 200sx, gold rims.

I saw your little rich friend pull up in his daddys Alfa selespeed?!? Same time as some bogan put his high beems in my face for god knows what reason..

[dale]

haha yeh i might not have been there though if the alpha was but im there most of the times so if u c silver bmw come say hello my name is dale

[Tosh]

I did the HART course and it really only taught me 1 or 2 things that aren't that hard to figure out on your own.

Save your money for a better course

[slo200]

a *track* near manly????

[carlo]

Track near manly..

YAY for illigal street racing and negligent driving.

[CerealKiller]

hi everyone! recently ive been driving at really high speeds *on a track* and its in a bmw 318i which is a 4 door sedan 1.8L  

Thanks heaps! p.s. its a FWD

your car is RWD, like other BMW's.

[Kinks]

experience is something that comes in part with time. but doing a driver training day is certainly beneficial, there's no reason to hold off doing one.

Either way if you recognise that the car has limits and you do too, and drive within both types, then you should be right. Learn where the limits are in a safe environment.

[dale]

wow it is RWD thats very new to me i cant believe of all the time ive checked up on it ive never actually seen its RWD thanks for that mate

[slo200]

Must have really been checking alot of places to not realise that its RWD!!

you still havent said which *track* near manly you where driving on??

[dale]

Actually i had checked heaps of places that actually had the information but i never actual thought wen it said RWD i just went oh yeh front wheel boo

hehe

and the track near manly was best put by carlo

Track near manly..

YAY for illigal street racing and negligent driving.

[Majanal]

**Firstly please remember that these forums do not support in any form illegal street racing.**

Now, Dale,

My suggestion to you other than read and take note of what Red900ss said in his post is to get yourself out to a skid pan (next one is 13th Dec @ Eastern Creek) or a track day (next is 18th Dec @ Eastern Creek) and ask around to see if you can score a passenger ride with some of the guys that will be there. I will be out at the skid pan at least and am more than happy to take you for a run while I find some limits and experience my car in very wet conditions taking pretend corners and other things.

The most important thing to remember is that if you are on a public road and if you get caught doing excess of the speed limit you will get fined at least $100. Aside from that if you hit someone you can kill yourself or even worse them. For $100 you can get out on the skid pan with instructors and also people that have had much more driving experience then yourself and can offer (and will offer) you valuable advice.

Next time you go to the race track at manly just think first of who you know that "might" be in the area.

Hope that helps,

Dan.

[GTR-Part II]

lol u guys r too cautious

i went track racing with my mates

one had a 96 wrx

one had a pulsar q

and i had the 32

hmmmmm it was interesting trying each car

we trusted each other and it seemed the winner was the wrx. yet it was the most boring.

the q just ****en understeared like crazy

and my 32 was sideways. i scratched my car a bit cos i ended up off da track!

yeh

heaps fun

heaps of money spent

worth it

[carlo]

you can never be to cautious.

[dale]

lol

[B-Man]

*cough* *cough* - ahh hmm - Actually, the next skid pan day is on the 12th of December:

See here :http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/sh...ead.php?t=26199

Dale - there has been an SAU Advanced Driver day organised for ages - you can still make it to the last two session if you want (Can't guarantee the good price that I organised for the 3 day package though) We all had a blast and learn't heaps -

Yahoo - I get to go on back toback skid pan days at EC !